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LulzSec

Hackers leak classified DPS documents

Operational plans, private data released by hacking group

An anonymous group of computer hackers has released what it said is trove of secret data from the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

A police union leader said state budget cuts "played a role in DPS not being able to fend off this attack."

LulzSec, a international group known for breaking into high-security websites, said Thursday that it was releasing "hundreds of private intelligence bulletins, training manuals, personal email correspondence, names, phone numbers, addresses and passwords belonging to Arizona law enforcement."

The group titled the 446-megabyte torrent "Chinga La Migra" (Fuck the Border Patrol).

"We are targeting AZDPS specifically because we are against SB1070 and the racial profiling anti-immigrant police state that is Arizona," a release from LulzSec said.

One of the unions representing highway patrol officers, the Arizona Highway Patrol Association, "is concerned that the files released could jeopardize the safety of many DPS officers and employees."

"Law enforcement officials go to many lengths to protect their identities," said Sgt. Jimmy Chavez, president of the AHPA.

"These individuals maliciously released confidential information knowing the safety of DPS employees, and their families, would be compromised. A threat to release more DPS files demonstrates how heinous the hackers are willing to act. The AHPA would like to see the people brought to justice and prosecuted to the highest degree of the law," he said.

Many of the files leaked appear to be public information (see sidebar),
including operations manuals, bulletins from other law enforcement
agencies, and fliers for events.

The information contained in the release was confirmed as accurate by TucsonSentinel.com. DPS officials confirmed that their computer network has been broken into.

To verify their hacking, LulzSecs included in their release information on seven DPS employees, including names, home and cell phone numbers, and computer passwords. One password was "12345," according to the group.

Budget cuts to blame?

The head of the other police union "would like to point out that the severe staffing shortages and tremendous budget reductions probably played a role in DPS not being able to fend off this attack."

"Some of our citizens and legislators wanted 'smaller government,' well this is an unfortunate result of that mindset," said John Ortolano, president of the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police, in an email to TucsonSentinel.com.

"The information released by these hackers in no doubt has jeopardized officer's and their family's safety," he said.

"Bringing these individuals responsible for these reckless acts to justice will be extremely difficult given the staffing levels at DPS," he said.

LulzSec has previously shut down a CIA website and hacked into a server for the U.S. Senate.

The international group announces its hacking feats on Twitter, where it has over 260,000 followers. Earlier this week, British authorities said they arrested a member of the group.

The hackers have also targeted the websites of Sony, Fox TV, and PBS. It's
moniker is a combination of lulz (laughs) and sec (security).

From LulzSec's release:

The documents classified as “law enforcement sensitive”, “not for public distribution”, and “for official use only” are primarily related to border patrol and counter-terrorism operations and describe the use of informants to infiltrate various gangs, cartels, motorcycle clubs, Nazi groups, and protest movements.

Every week we plan on releasing more classified documents and embarassing [sic] personal details of military and law enforcement in an effort not just to reveal their racist and corrupt nature but to purposefully sabotage their efforts to terrorize communities fighting an unjust “war on drugs”.

Hackers of the world are uniting and taking direct action against our common oppressors – the government, corporations, police, and militaries of the world. See you again real soon! ;D

Documents leaked

Many of the documents released are marked "law enforcement sensitive" and "not for public distribution."

Operational plans all note "(i)n the event that the media becomes aware of this detail, officers are reminded that they should at all times be aware of their comments and actions. Immediately notify the Operations Commander of the media's presence."

The documents include the names and phone numbers of DPS and a number of judges.

The documents leaked include:

The work schedule of a DPS officer for two weeks last November

Plans from Operation Stonegarden anti-smuggling patrols earlier this year

Plans for various "Operation Border Guardian" deployments in Cochise and Pima counties earlier this year

Plans for multi-jurisdictional "Operation: Agua Cercada" interdiction patrols in Santa Cruz County in May

A phone roster of dozens of nearly 200 DPS personnel

A "Officer Awareness Bulletin" on "The Perils of Social Networking"

An explanation of radical Islamist tattoos from the Los Angeles Police Department

A video of a white extremists in Arkansas gunning down two policemen in Arkansas

A retirement account statement for one employee

A report that Sinaloa Cartel leader Chapo Guzman was at a ranch near Sonoita, Mexico in January 2009

A report on the white supremicist Hammerskin Nation group and another on the National Socialist Movement

A number of news releases sent to media organizations

A number of documents marked "Law Enforcement Use Only" containing information on suspected criminals

A May warning not to use the cameras in personal cell phones to capture evidence

A list of serial numbers of firearms assigned to DPS personnel

A list of people with warrants for their arrest in Graham and Greenlee counties from 2008

A list of contact info, including cell phone numbers, for judges in Navajo County

A list Droid apps that officers should check the cell phones of arrestees for

A document showing examples of where drugs have been concealed in vehicles

A 2010 prohibition on using cell phones while driving

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Files released

A list of Department of Public Safety files that LulzSec claims to have released. We have redacted a list of DPS employees' names, contact info, and other personal information the hacking group included:

Charles_Springstun.txt

Daniel_Scott.txt

Edward_Anderson.txt

Gary_Ciminski.txt

Horacio_Lomeli.txt

Steven_Loya.txt

files/

files/(U-LES) 20070828 National Ferry Brief.ppt

files/(U~FOUO) SIR_0208.pdf

files/(U~~FOUO) HSA - Use of Common Precursor Chemicals to Make Homemade Explosives 08122010.pdf

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